Sliding door



' y 1936- H. F. COLLINS 2,039,296

SLIDING DOOR Filed March 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l 'l/ 1V V|NvENToR a Harold FfOoZZms ATTORNEYS May 5, 1936.

H. F. COLLINS SLIDING DOOR Filed March 16, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W5 h 5 d p 2 w/Mm mE m m WWW H N May 5, 1936. H. F. COLLINS SLIDING DOOR '4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 16, 1951 Harold 2 1 Collins ATTORNEYS May 5, 1936. H. F. COLLINS- 2,039,296

SLIDING DOOR Filed Marh 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Shee t 4 INVENTOR I Ha row FCoZlins ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1936 I i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING noon Harold F. Collins, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Howard D. Colman, Rockford, 111.

Application March 16, 1931, Serial No. 522,908 13 Claims. (CI. 20-20) The invention pertains to sliding doors consistterference referred to between said panel and the ing of one or more panels guided for edgewise door frame. movement, and has more especial reference to A further object is to provide in a door conmultiple panel doors of which the panels are disstructed so as to be capable of lateral bodily 5' posed horizontally and hinged together in edge shifting movement when in or near its closed 5 to edge relation with rollers at opposite side position, means for efiectually locking the door edges operating in tracks so as to be guided from in such position. a vertical closing position into an upper or over- A general object is to provide a door guiding head position substantially perpendicular to the means of the character referred to which is calo door openin pable of economical manufacture and which is Doors of this character are commonly used in positive in operation and otherwise of a practical heated buildings such as private and public gacharacter. rages and it is desirable not only that the door In h mp ny n d awin I have illusshall be capable of free sliding movement but trated the invention in its preferred form, 345 apthat when in closed position, it shall fit tightly plied. to a door of the overhead yp In these against the door frame. In attaining this result, draWingSI I employ the construction and arrangement dis- Figure 1 is a fragmentary vat nal View Of closed and claimed in my prior application Serial an Overhead multi-nanel door n i o e p si- No. 426,216, filed February 6, 1930. Briefly stated tion and Showing the inner S de Of the door. so I support the rollers arranged at opposite side F 218 a fragmentary vertical Sectional View edges of th d through th medium of arms on a somewhat larger scale, the view being taken pivotally secured to the doorand having spring Substantially in the Plane of line f Fi means associated therewith in a manner such Fig 3 is a fragmentary Ve tical Sectional view that as the door is moved from its closed posi- Showing the lower Panel of the (1001' in a POSitiOn tion, the arms turn upon the pivots so as to peroccupied during the moveme i from horizontal mit a lateral bodily movement of the door away to vertical positionfrom the door opening. Such bodily movement 4 is a Similar View Showing the lower P0 oo r against th ti of th spring means tion of the door near its closed position and a and in the initial portion of the opening movemodification of the spring means to turning the ment, so as to permit of a free and easy upward roller cranks. 30

movement of the door into its closed position. 5 is a fragmentary p rspective view illus- To assist in such opening movement, a countertrating the guiding and control means p oyed-- balancing means is provided which means is 10- 6 iS a ta y Vertical sectional view cated above the door opening and is connected illustrating a large Scale the a c- 33 to the lower edge f th 1 ing means acting on the door in moving from its 35 While the pivotal roller carrying arms serve Open P0533101}, and Further illustrating a mo fied to accomplish their intended function effectually, form of the mventlonit has been found that in the movement of the is a perspective w of a lower corner door from itsopen t t closed position the of the door and also illustrating said modified 49 ward pull exerted by, the counter-balancing form of the I On. 40 means on the lower or leading edge of the door 3 is a fragmentary elevational view lookis sufficient in some instances to overcome the mg from the inside Ofthe door and Showing the action of the spring means acting upon the arms m lockmg means i to hold the door away from the door Opening Fig. 9 1s a transverse horizontal sectional view When this occurs, there is a tendency for the if??? approxlmately m the P a of line of leading edge of thedoor in its closing move- 1 ment to strike the upper edge of the door frame ig $ggg z sg ggfi fi g g of thus preventing or at least seriously interfering relation the numbger d mge ge o eqge losing movement of the door. an 8128 o the panels bemg p W the i c determined by the size of the opening to be The O J 0f the Present mventlon 15 to closed. The latter is herein shown as formed by vide a door of the character above set forth in a fr me 8 providing (an abutment 9 against which the roller-carrying arms for the lowermost which marginal edge portions of the door engage panel are po ltlv y d agamst pivotal mOVein the closed position of the door. Any suitable 5:, ment in a direction to permit the undesirable inform of binge connections may be provided, but

preferably consist of hinge members or plates I0 and II (Fig. 5), each plate In having side flanges I2 to form bearings for a hinge pin I3, and the plate II having a curl I4 for receiving the pin between the bearing flanges I 2.

The panels 'I thus hinged together are guided for edgewise movement from a vertical position closing the door opening into an overhead, substantially horizontal open position, by means comprising a pair of tracks generally designated I5, one for each side edge of the door, and two sets of rollers I6, the rollers of the two sets being carried by the door and engaging respectively in the opposite tracks I 5.

The tracks consist of straight vertical sections IT, straight horizontal sections I2, and intermediate curved sections I9. The straight vertical sections I I are suitably secured to the door frame as by means of brackets 20, and herein are spaced inwardly from the frame 9 a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the panels. The upper rear end of the straight horizontal sections I8 of each track may be suspended from a suitable overhead support as by means of a bracket 2!.

The guide rollers I 6 are supported in pivotal relation to the door panels and are made of a diameter substantially corresponding to the width of the guiding channel provided by the.

tracks I5. In the present instance the pivotal supports for the rollers I6 are in the nature of triangularly shaped arms mounted at opposite side edges of the door. The uppermost arms 22 are mounted on pins I3 carried by plates. I li corresponding to the hinge plates I6. Owing to the fact that'the rollers carried by these arms 22 engage with the curved sections I9 of the tracks in-the closed position of the door, the arms are made somewhat longer (see Fig. 2) than the other arms 23 engaging the straight vertical sections of the tracks.

The arms 23, with the exception of the two lowermost ones at opposite sides of the door, are mounted on the pins I3 of the side hinges; and in the 'case of the lowermost arms, they are mounted on pins I 3 carried by plates I I. As shown in all of the figures with the exception of Fig. 4', each of the roller-carrying pins is preferably provided adjacent the arm thereon with a coiled spring 24 having one end 25 bearing against the adjacent roller trunnion and the other end. 26 extended upwardly so as to bear against the door. Thus the arms 23 are normally urged by their springs 24 in a direction to swing the rollers I6 downwardly, with the result that the springs normally serve to hold the panels inwardly away from the door opening and hence free of the frame abutment 9. In this connection, the arms 22, 23, because of their peculiar triangular shape, coact with their supporting plates I0 to limit the extent of movement of the panels toward the tracks.

While it is desirable that the door be capable of free sliding movement, it is also desirable that when in closed position its marginal edge portions be held in tightly fitting relation to the frame abutment 9. To this end,-the several arms 22 and 23 are; interconnected by endwise adjustable links 21, and inward extensions 28 of the uppermost arms 22 carry stop pins 29 adapted to engage with stationary stops 30 just as the door approaches its closed position. The links 21, with the exception of the lowermost one, have pin-and-slot connections at their lower ends with the arms 23 in order to permit of relative lengthwise movement between the links as the door panels swing relative to each other in passing from vertical to overhead horizontal position, and V108 versa.

The arrangement is such (compare Figs. 2 and 4) that in the movement of the door into closed position, the pins 29 on the upper arms 22 strike the stop 30, and in the continued movement of the panels toward closed position the uppermost panel swings forwardly toward the frame abutment 9. Then in the final relatively short closing movement of the door, all of the rollers I6 are simultaneously interrupted in their downward movement, causing the arms 22, 23 to rock downwardly and forwardly and, with a toggle-like action, impart a relatively sudden forward movement to the panels at their several hinge connections. The result is that all of the panels are simultaneously carried into snugly fitting relation to the frame abutment, against the action of the springs 24. In the closed position of the door, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the axes of the rollers I 6 and of the corresponding pins I3, I3 and i3 are disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane.

When the door is moved away from closed position, the arms 22 and 23 turn relative to the panels, the rollers being held downwardly by the action of the springs 24, so that the panels are immediately moved inwardly away from the frame abutment 9, permitting free continued movement into open position.

To facilitate the operation of the door, a counter-balancing means is preferably provided. The

means herein shown for this purpose comprises a pair of springs 3I, one for each side edge of the door. Said springsare of the torsion type (Fig. l) each coiled about a drum 32 and connected at one end to a stationary plate 33, and at its other end to a sheave 34, the whole being supported by brackets 35 and 35. A small wire cable 36 (Fig. 2) is anchored at one end to the sheave 34 and at its other end to the lower end of the door, the springs being under maximum tension when the door is in its closed position. 3

In Fig. 4, another type of spring means is shown in place of the individual torsion springs 24. In this instance each of the two sets of crank arms at opposite side edges of the door are controlled by a single contractile spring 31 having its lower end secured to a bar 3! anchored to the lowermost panel and its upper end secured to a bar 31 pivoted on the roller trunnion I3 at the upper edge of said panel. These springs, it will be observed, while acting directly upon the lower arms 23, also tend to swing the upper arms 22 in a direction to relieve the pressure which the arms exert on the door. This is because the slack in the lost motion connections at the lower ends of the upper links 2! is taken up when the door is in closed position.

The counter-balancing means exert through the cables 36 an upward pull on the lower panel, and when the door is in its raised position, such upward pull may, unless otherwise prevented, exert a sufficient force to turn the crank arms on their pivots in a direction counter to the springs 24 or 31. Should this occur while the door is moving from its overhead or open position toward its closed position, the leading edge will occupy an elevated position relative to the curved portion of the track, due to the fact that the crank arms 23 have been swung in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) and the door thereby moved away from the track to a position such that it may strike the upper edge of the door frame or bind against the same while being lowered.

To avoid the difficulty referred to, the lowermost links 21 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) are constructed and arranged somewhat differently than the other links. Thus each of these lower links is pivoted to its roller trunnion without provision for lost motion, and the upper end thereof is pivoted to the crank arm 22 at the upper edge of said panel at a point such that when this latter arm abuts the panel, a dead-center relation is established between the link and the pivot of said crank arm. Therefore when the door is being moved down from its open or overhead po- 7 sition (Fig. 3), the lower links 21 positively prevent the lowermost crank arm from turning under the action of an upward and rearward thrust on the links due to the upward pull exerted by the counter-balancing cables 36. Accordingly the leading edge of the door is positively prevented from moving away from the track and striking the lintel of the door frame.

In Figs. 6 and '7 I have shown an alternative construction capable of accomplishing the same result. In this instance, each of the lowermost links is provided at its lower end with a key-hole slot 38, and the roller trunnion terminates in a flat stud 39 which, when the door is out of its closed position (Fig. 6), occupies a position in the narrow portion of the slot and thus holds the crank arm against turning.

For the purpose of holding the door in closed position, I provide apair of bolts 40 (Figs. 1, 8 and 9) coacting with the vertical track sections I! at opposite side edges of the door. Each of the bolts is mounted for'sliding movement transversely of the door through the medium of guide brackets 4| formed on one of the hinge plates 10, a coiled expansion spring 42 tending to move each of the bolts into engagement with the adjacent track l5. Pivotally mounted centrally of the door is an upright plate 43 connected to the individual bolts by means of the chains 44. Each of the latter have a slotted connection with the plate 43 for the purpose of equalizing the pull on the two bolts regardless of the direction of rotation of the plate. A suitable lock 45 (Fig. 8) having a key controlled bolt 46 is associated with the plate to hold it against unauthorized rotation.

ln'view of the lateral bodily shifting movement imparted to the door as it approaches and leaves its closed position the bolts 40- are especially constructed. Thus referring to Fig. 9, the bolts are made substantially L-shaped in form, the outer ends thereof having latch arms 41 extending transversely of the tracks and adapted in the closed position of the door to engage in keeper notches 48 formed in the outer channel walls of the tracks. When the door is in closed position and therefore has been shifted bodily toward the door frame the latch arms are free to move 0 into engagement with the notches 48 under the action of the springs 42. However, the latch arms 41 are made of such length that when the bolts have been withdrawn and the door raised sufliciently to permit of the shifting of the door away from the frame, the latch arms will continue in slidable engagement with the track. In Fig. 9 one of the arms is shown with its free end overlying the track just prior to being moved from open position to closed position, the position of the bolt in the latter position of the door being shown in broken lines.

In addition to providing for the lateral shifting movement of the bolt with the door, the extended latch arms 41 also insure that the bolt shall slidably engage with the curved portions 19 of the tracks as the door is moved into and from its overhead position. In such passage around the curved portion of the track, the latch arms slide on the inner channel walls of the tracks.

It will be observed that the construction provided not only insures that the door when in. closed position will beheld tightly against the door frame by reason of the lateral shifting position imparted thereto at the end of the downward or closing movement, but that the upward pull of the counter-balancing means on the leading edge of the door as it is guided downwardly by the curved portions of the tracks is ineffective to move such tracks into abutting or interfering relation to the upper edge of the door frame. Moreover the latch means for holding the door in closed position is such as to provide for the transverse movement of the bolts relative to the tracks both during the bodilyshifting movement of the door when approaching and leaving its closed position, and in the passage of the bolts around the curved portions of the tracks.

Reference is made to my copending application Serial No. 426,216, filed February 6, 1930, which application contains claims directed generally to the means herein disclosed for imparting an abrupt closing movement to the door panel as an incident to the movement of the door in a. closed position,

I claim as my invention:

1. A door comprising a plurality of horizon- I tally disposed panels hinged together in edge to edge relation, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite sides of a door opening with portions curving rearwardly in a plane above said opening, a plurality of rollers carried by the door and coacting with said tracks to guide the door in its opening and closing movements, means operatingupon said rollers as the door approaches its closed position to shift it laterally relative to said track and toward said opening, and counterbalancing means for the door connected to the lower edge thereof, said shifting means including a part acting to prevent a shifting movement of the door away from the track by said counterbalancing means when the door is moving from its open position.

2. A door of the character set forth having a horizontally disposed panel, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite sides of a door opening with portions curving rearwardly at the upper edge of said opening, control means carried by said panel and coacting with said tracks to guide the door from open to closed position and vice versa, said means being operable on the panel as it approaches its closed position to shift it laterally relative to said track and toward said opening,

- counterbalancing means connected with the lower edge of said panel, and spring means tending to restrain such' shifting movement of the panel relative to the tracks, said control means acting positively to prevent a shifting of the panel by said counterbalancing means while the panel is traversing the curved portions of said tracks.

3. A door having a horizontally disposed panel, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite sides of a door opening with portions curving upwardly and rearwardly at the upper edge of said opening, 'rollers mounted at opposite side edges of "'thefpanel and engaging said tracks so as to guide "the panel from a lower vertical position to an connected with the lower edge of said. panel, and

means operable to render an upward pull by said counterbalancing means ineffective to move the panel laterally of the tracks when moving from its upper position. 7

i. A door comprising a plurality of panels hinged together in edge to edge relation, tracks adapted to be mounted opposite of a door opening with portions extending rearwardly from said opening and substantially per; endicular thereto, a plurality of guide rollers for the door mounted on said panels and engaging aid tracks, supports for said rollers movable relative to the panels and adapted in such movement to impart lateral shifting movement to the door relative to the tracks and toward opening and means operative to prevent an upward thrust on the lower edge of the door from moving said supports relative to the door.

5. A door of the character set forth having a horizontally disposed panel and tracks adapted to be mounted in opposite sides of a door opening with portions extending rearwardly from the upper edge of said opening, a plurality of guide rollers for the door, arms pivotally mounted at the upper and lower edges of said panel and carrying said rollers, said arms being swingable relative to the panel to shift the latter relative to said tracks laterally thereof, a counterbalancing means for the door connecting with the lower edge of said panel, a link connecting said arms, and means operable to exert an upward pull on said link as the door approaches its closed position to effect such shifting movement of the panel, said link being adapted to prevent an upward pull exerted by the counterbalancing means on the lower edge of the panel while the latter isv traversing the curved portions of the tracks from swinging the lower arm in a direction to cause said shifting movement.

6. A door of the character set forth having a horizontally disposed panel, tracks adapmd to be mounted at opposite sides of a door opening with portions extending rearwardly at the upper edge of the opening, guide means carried by the panel and including a. pair of arms pivoted at the upper and lower edges of the panel, rollers carried by said arms and engaging in said tracks, said arms having stop portions serving to limit pivotal movement of the arms relative to the panels in a downward direction, spring means tending to hold said arms in such limited positions, and means including a rigid link adapted when pulled upwardly to swing the lower arm against the action of said spring means, said link acting to prevent an upward thrust on said arm from imparting a turning movement thereto.

7. A door of the character set forth having a horizontally disposed panel, tracks adapted'to be mounted at. opposite sides of a door opening with portions extending rearwardly at the upper edge of the opening. guide means carried by the panel and including a. pair of arms pivoted at the upper and lower edges of the panel, rollers carried by said arms and engaging in said tracks, said arms having stop portions serving to limit pivotal movement of the arms relative to the panels in a pair of arms pivoted at $1 anc includi and lower: edges of panel, rollers ca ri i said arms and engaging in said. tracks, said or ms having stop portions rig to limit pivotal movement the arms relative to the panels in a downward direction, spring means tending to "sold said arms in such ed positions, and a v the lower to so that upro pull on the link will i said to shift the panel, link hav ing a pin and slot connection with the arm adaptno position of the link to hold the arm turning.

9. A door having horizontally disposed panel, track" at o posite side edges of the panel, arms pivoted the upper and. lower edges of the panel, rollers on the arms engaging in the tracks, said tracks having vertical portions and horizontally extending portions to guide the door from a vertical'closed position to a horizontal overhead position, means operable as the door moves into closed position to carry the rollers on the arms upwardly from a position in downwardly ofiset relation to the arm pivots toward a position in horizontal alinement therewith whereby to shift the door laterally relative to the vertical portions of the tracks, the last mentioned means including a link pivoted at opposite ends to the upper and lower arms in eccentric relation to their pivots, and counterbalancing means connected with the lower edge of the panel, said link occupying a dead center relation to the pivot 01 the upper arm when the latter is in its downwardly offset position whereby said counterbalancing means is ineffective to swing the lower arms upwardly while the panel is in or near horizontal position.

10. A door comprising a plurality of panels hinged together in edge to edge relation, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite edges of a door opening and shaped to guide the door from a position in the plane of said opening to a position substantially perpendicular thereto at one edge of the opening, said door having a plurality of crank arms pivoted thereto at opposite ends of the panels with rollers on said arms engaging in said tracks, means operable as the door moves into closed position to swing said arms relative to the panels so as to impart to the latter a relatively abrupt movement in the direction of the door opening, the last mentioned means including links connecting said arms, and a contractile spring connected with one of said arms and coacting with said links and the other arms when the door is moved away from its closed position to move it abruptly away from said opening.

11. A door of the character set forth compris ing a plurality of panels hinged together in edge to edge relation, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite edges of a door opening, uide means carried by the door and engaging in said tracks to guide the door edgewise across said opening, said guide means being operable as the door moves into closed position to impart an abrupt movement of in eccentric relation ing a lateral enlargement adapted to engage with said track irrespective of the position of the door relative to said opening.

12. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected door members for traversing a door opening, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite edges of the door opening,

means carried by the door and cooperating with said tracks to guide the door edgewise across said opening and acting as the door moves into closed position to impart movement to the door abruptly toward said opening, and a lock for the door including a bolt mounted on the door, said track having a keeper adapted to be engaged by said bolt in the closed position of the door but only as an incident to the said abrupt movement of the door toward the door opening.

13. In an overhead door construction, a plurality of hingedly connected door members for traversing a door opening, tracks adapted to be mounted at opposite edges of the'door opening, means carried by the door and cooperating with said tracks to guide the door edgewise across said opening and acting as the door moves into closed position to impart movement to the door abruptly toward said opening, and a lock for the door in .cluding a bolt mounted on the door, said track being in the form of a channel opening inwardly and having a notch therein adapted for engagement by said bolt only as an incident to the abrupt movement of the door into its closed position.

HAROLD F. COLLINS. 

